Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-08
CITRUS FAIR AMONG BLIzzARDs.
An Account of tho Opening-The Ar
rangemens of Displays.

rangeInens OF displays.
CHICAGO, January 1, 1887.
EDS. REcoRD-U UNION: At last after great
effort and after meeting all manner of dis
couragements, the Citrus Fair of Northern
and Central California has been opened in
Chicago, and very fine exhibit it is, and
one that is creditable to the great district it
represents, as well as being encouraging to
the managers 1t is one that cannot fail to
meet the appreciation of the Sacramento
Association, and | can only wish that the
citizens of Sacramento, as well as those OF
other parts of the "semi-tropic north,
as friend Honn puts it, could drop in at
the hall, No. 67 Washington street, to-
night, and see it in all its beauty.
Our California friends can have no idea
what beautiful prospect is presented at
this fair, because to appreciate it fully, one
must needs walk mile or so through the
snow covered streets and keen, biting win
ter air of Chicago and then enter this semi
tropic little paradise. A person can thus
get proper conception of the difference i'll
climate, and | assure you it is greatly i'll
favor of our own country.
We opened the fair in good shape
exhibits all in place and the hall neatly
decorated and ablaze with gas and electric
lights, last night. The evening was very
stormy, and besides it was New Years
eve and of course we did not expect
many visitors. However, we had
quite a satisfactory attendance, and
best of all, every one seemed well
pleased and much gratified. The mana
gers do not design the fair to be money
making scheme although they have an
eye to proper economy and will endeavor
to get portion of the expenses from door
receipts), but they desire that everyone,
especially men of means and influence,
shall have a chance to see the exhibit and
to this end, great many complimentary
tickets will be issued among fruit men,
railroad managers, etc. We are bound
that in some way the merits of our part of
the State shall become known to the peo-
pie of this metropolis.
On the arrival of our fruit here we found
that some of it was chilled by frost, but by
carefully regulating the temperature Of the
hall we have managed to thaw it out gradu-
ally, and the result is, the fruit looks just
as well as it did in Sacramento, with few
exceptions. We find grapes, pomegranates
and olives all in good condition.
Perhaps q word or two in regard to the
location of the various county displays may
be in order. Asyou enter the hall the first
view that strikes the eye is the Placer
county display, which has been very finely
arranged by J. j. Morrison, Director from
that county. 1t extends for say sixty feet
down the hall and attracts very great at
tention. Mr.. Morrison is constantly in at
tendance, and Placer county may well be
proud of her stalwart representative, and
may be sure that her interests are not neg
lected.
No less attentive and painstaking is the
manager of Yolo county's exhibit, K. B.
Blowers. This display comes next to
Placer, and includes some very fine speci-
mems of the various products of that county.
Mr.. Blowers also has charge of the dried
fruit and raisin department, which adioins
Yolos display, and includes all exhibits of
that class. 1t is a very striking exhibit,
and will add to the value of the permanent
exhibit of the Southern Pacific Company
in this city at the close of our fair
Following Yolo we have grand showing
from Yuba and Butte counties, which
being contiguous, are under the special
charge of Mr.. Scudder, the representative
from Butte county. These counties display
the entire amount shown in Sacramento,
and makes in itself a fine exhibit, some of
the fruit being especially fine.
Adjoining Butte, Shasta county shows
up in good shape, and D. n. Honn, of Red
ding, is constantly holding forth on the
glorious climate and boundless resources of
grand old Shasta.
Then follows smaller exhibits from Te-
hama, Colusa, Calayeras, Ell Dorado, So
lano, Nevada and other counties, and
finally getting back, as the surveyor says,
& to the place of beginning" we find Sac
ramento, with a display second to none,
and one that does all credit 10 the central
county of the group.
III. M. Van Armen, representative OF the
Southern Pacific Company, has taken much
interest in the fair, and has a stand from
which literature pertaining to Central and
Northern California is distributed.
The writer with others of the committee
called on Mayor Harrison yesterday, with
a letter of introduction signed by Governor
Stoneman, Secretary of State Thompson,
Mayor Brown. President of the Board of
Trade Steffens, and President of the Immi-
grafton Society A. S. Hopkins. With these
credentials the committee felt sure of at
tention, and were not disappointed, as the
Mayor received us with great cordially and
devoted about an hour to free discussion
of the subject presented. He showed much
interest and promised us all possible aid
and encouragement. Had his health per-
mitted, he would have delivered for us an
opening address, but that was out of the
question, for the reason that he was suffer-
ing from a severe throat trouble, and could
hardly raise his voice above a whisper
Many prominent railroad men are show
ing an interest in the fair, and some have
visited us. Among the prominent fruit
dealers who have been in, are Washington
Porter, Messrs. Butts e. Fry, Mr.. EARL, and
others. Yours, truly, 2. E. PLAT.